An Unwanted Surfing Lesson

The first 20 people to sign up will receive a free surfing lesson, that's what the special offer for a Catholic Youth event said. I wrinkled my nose up at that. A surfing lesson? That wasn't something that I would ever want. I'd better make sure that I wasn't one of the first twenty people to sign up. The lesson had better go to someone who actually wanted it.

So I waited to sign up. I waited a whole week. Surely twenty people would have signed up in that amount of time? I'd be pretty safe now. So I signed up and promptly forgot all about the special offer. Twenty lucky people would go surfing, and thankfully I wouldn't be one of them.

Two days before the event, I received an email from one of the organizers  "Because you were one of the first twenty participants to sign up, you are eligible to receive a free surfing lesson. Would you like to accept this lesson, or give it to someone else?"

I just stared at the email. What, after all that, I'd still managed to get the free surfing lesson? That was silly. I didn't want a free surfing lesson. I wasn't a surfer and that was that.I would email the organizer back later and tell her I didn't want the lesson. She could give it to someone else.

Still it was rather a funny story to tell. "Hey Mum, you know how I was trying not to get the free surfing lesson? Well, I got one."

Mum laughed. Then she said, "You should take the lesson. It could be fun."

No. No way. I wasn't going to go surfing. But everyone else said the same thing. "You should go surfing. It might be fun."

"Alright," I grumbled. "I'll accept it. But I'm not sure whether I'll enjoy it."

It could be fun. But really, I wasn't very sure. Oh well, if nothing else, maybe I could set a record for the amount of times fallen off the surfboard if nothing else. Surely I wouldn't look out of place.

Out in the ocean, lying on a surfboard however I still wasn't too sure. I mean, I was a little excited. It wasn't every day that I got to go surfing. It could be fun I supposed. I waited for the instructor to tell me what to do. He watched the waves, then suddenly, "Paddle."

I dug my hands into the water, thrusting myself forwards, paddling as hard as I could as the wave rushed up behind me.

"Stand."

Bit by bit, I got to my feet...and promptly fell off. The wave washed over my head, carrying the surfboard towards the shore before the cord attached to my ankle stopped it with a jerk. I popped up out of the water laughing. That was fun. I dragged my surfboard back through the water to where the instructor waited and prepared to go again.

Six waves later, I rode the wave into shore, ever so carefully getting to my feet. I was pretty sure to fall off again. But at least I was trying. One leg up. two legs up. I balanced precariously on the board as the wave carried me into the shore. As we reached the edge, I grinned. Wow, I'd done it. I'd managed to stand up on a surfboard. And maybe, just maybe surfing was more fun than I'd thought it would be. I was glad then that I'd taken the lesson.

I'm definitely not going to turn into a surfer now. In fact, I even think that standing up on the board was a fluke, but I haven't tested that theory out yet. But I do know that sometimes, things I think I won't like turn out to be better than I expected. Maybe it's time to be more adventurous in the future. And next time I get the offer of a free surfing lesson, I'll be accepting it. It's certainly more fun than I thought.